Borussia Dortmund will face Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the 2024/2025 Champions League. The first leg will be held at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Dortmund is said to be a dark horse in the hunt for this season’s title. Under the guidance of Niko Kovac, their performance has become increasingly solid ahead of the crucial phase of the competition.
Barcelona come as favorites, but it will not be easy to get rid of this German team. Dortmund has a combination of experience, sharpness, and extra motivation to go further.
Here are five reasons why Borussia Dortmund is believed to be able to get past Barcelona in the last 8 of the Champions League.
- Has Overwhelmed Barca
Dortmund and Barcelona have met in the league phase this season. The match ended with a narrow 3-2 victory for Barcelona in Germany.
Dortmund equalized twice through Serhou Guirassy. However, Ferran Torres’ late goal saw Barca go home with three points.
Despite losing, Dortmund played competitively and only lost slightly in possession and number of shots. That experience will be an important asset in this meeting.
- Starting to gel with Niko Kovac
After losing to Augsburg and Leipzig, Dortmund returned to the positive path. A 3-1 win over Mainz signaled their revival.
In the last nine matches in all competitions, Dortmund have only suffered two defeats. They also won big over Union Berlin and Freiburg.
The most impressive was the 2-1 comeback win over Lille in the Champions League. Kovac’s never-give-up character is starting to be clearly visible in this squad.
- Serhou Guirassy, a mainstay in Europe
Guirassy has become a very productive player for Dortmund this season. He has scored 25 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.
In the Bundesliga, he has collected 15 goals from 24 matches. However, in the Champions League, his performance was more impressive with 10 goals from 12 matches.
Guirassy is now one of the competition’s top scorers. Barcelona must work extra hard to stop them.
- Last Season’s Experience
Dortmund reached the Champions League final last season and only lost to Real Madrid. That proves they are capable of competing at the highest level.
Their journey at that time was very impressive. They eliminated AC Milan, Newcastle, Atletico Madrid, and PSG in tense matches.
The winning mentality and confidence from last season’s experience still linger. This could be a differentiating factor when facing Barcelona.
- Total Focus on the Champions League
Dortmund currently sits in eighth place in the Bundesliga and has been eliminated from the DFB Pokal. The Champions League is their only hope of winning a trophy this season.
In addition to prestige, winning the Champions League will also provide a ticket to next season’s competition. Their focus is now fully on this event.
Meanwhile, Barcelona is still competing tightly in La Liga and will appear in the Copa del Rey final. The burden in several competitions could interfere with their focus.
